Quirks
Character Quirks Simply put, a Quirk is a Disadvantage that is worth only -1 point. To expand this point, Quirks have two basic roles they play in defining your character. First, they give you minor roleplaying tags that help define your character's personality without needing a self-control rating or requiring a full-fledged mental disadvantage. Second, they give minor penalties that occur only in very specific cases. Quirks, like Disadvantages, are divided into Mental, Physical, and Social categories. You may take up to five “quirks” at -1 point each... so, if you do, you will have 5 more points to spend on other things. These do not count against the maximum number of disadvantage points allowed in your campaign. What isn't a Quirk? One thing a Quirk cannot be is passive! "Always Wears Red" is too weak to be a Quirk; at best, it's a 0-point feature. "Believes Wearing Red Socks Helps Him Survive Auto Accidents" is valid, as it reflects a belief and requires some activity by the player. Examples of Quirks 'Appearance Quirks' Distinctive Feature : You have a physical feature – e.g. "Brilliant Blue Hair" – that makes you stand out in a crowd. This gives -1 to your Disguise and Shadowing skills, and +1 to others' attempts to identify or follow you. Some Distinctive Features may stem from full-blown Disadvantages. For instance, an albino (someone with no natural body pigment, resulting in pink eyes and pink-white hair and skin) could also have Weakness (Sunlight). Hidden Scar : Prerequisite: Appearance of Attractive or better. Your body has a noticeable and grotesque flaw, such as a huge scar or patch of severe skin disease, that is normally covered up by the regular, every-day clothing appropriate to your culture and social station. You can have any Appearance better than Average, but while you are naked or your flaw is otherwise exposed, you are temporarily treated as being three Appearance steps lower (e.g. Very Beautiful becomes Average, Beautiful becomes Unattractive, etc.). Scruffy-Looking : Your clothes are always at least disheveled and often worse. If someone dresses you well, it may last a little while, then you revert to type. Gives -1 reactions from the grooming-conscious, which often include police and military types. Sensitive About Appearance : The character has one aspect of his appearance that he or she is extremely self-conscious about. This must be an observable physical trait (height, weight, wrinkles, a facial scar, bad teeth, etc.), though it doesn’t necessarily have to be bad enough to justify below average Appearance. Negative comments or jokes about this aspect of the character's appearance cause him/her to get upset and possibly lash out. Vanity : You are obsessed with your good looks, to the point where you find any minor flaw to detract from them, especially if the flaw does not necessitate a reduction in Appearance (for flaws that can but are normally hidden, see Hidden Scar, above). This is the prototypical Mary Sue trait of that one minor flaw that you obsess over that no one else seems to care about or notice (in fact, some may even find the flaw attractive!), such as a small one centimeter long scar that's barely visible on that one corner of your mouth. : 'Belief Quirks' Antitheist : You consider organized religion a destructive force. Quirk level Intolerance to organized religion. Atheist : You do not believe in any claims of a higher power. In many worlds, this may qualify you for a Secret or Social Stigma (usually Excommunicated) Devout Believer : You are a devout believer in a particular cause or religion. This can be considered the Quirk level of Fanaticism. Delusion : You may take a completely trivial Delusion as a Quirk. This does not affect your everyday behavior, and is unlikely to be noticed by casual acquaintances, but you must believe it! Examples: ''"The Earth is flat." "The Pentagon controls the Boy Scouts and the health food stores." "Socks cause diseases of the feet." "The Apollo moon landings were faked." : The GM is at liberty to secretly have a Delusion be true. Of the above examples, the one about the Earth being flat is clearly not true, but the Pentagon may in fact secretly control the Boy Scouts, the Apollo moon landing missions could very well have been staged, or socks may actually be the cause of athlete's foot infections... : 'Habitual Quirks' Always Meets People's Eyes : This is the opposite of Won't Meet Anyone's Eyes (below). No matter who you're talking to, you will always look them in the eye while conversing. In the modern world, this is expected in Western society, but taboo in East Asian countries. As such, it will occasionally lead to reaction penalties. Bloody Mess : When you kill something, you don't just kill it; you obliterate it! Blood and viscera fly everywhere! Anything you kill, especially those that reach -5×HP, dies in the most gruesome way possible. This gives a -1 Reaction penalty to anyone who witnesses such an act for the first time, although it might give a +1 Reaction bonus to those with tastes for such things (those sickos). Those watching who have Squeamish react to you at twice the normal reaction penalty. (Those you travel with are generally, but not always, used to such displays and, all else being equal, don't normally react negatively to you.) Always Smiles : You can be ankle deep in bits of grue, coated in someone's blood, and under fire from a machine gun, and you'll still be smiling. The only times you stop are at funerals and other such events where it's expected that you'll be respectful. Immodest : You have no sense of modesty. This commonly means you walk around the house completely naked, talk crudely, etc, whenever you have the opportunity. You have enough common sense in order to "fake" modesty around others; if you do not have this common sense, consider taking Odious Personal Habits instead. Incorrigible Flirt : You flirt with anyone you find attractive. This isn't truly Lecherousness, as you are not actually serious about the passes you make, and nine times out of ten the flirting doesn't lead to anything besides harmless fun in a social situation. Still, it may give -1 to Reaction rolls when dealing with people who are socially repressed, or who have an emotional investment in the people you're flirting with. Knuckle Cracker : Before beginning any project, no matter how large or small, you tend to crack your knuckles. While this does not cause you any damage – except perhaps long-term joint issues – it can be extremely annoying to those around you. Nervous Ranter : Whenever you're nervous or anxious, your speech tends to careen straight into stream of consciousness, with no disconnect between brain and mouth. As such, your ranting can gleefully ignore grammar and logic. Never Smiles : This is the opposite of Always Smiles, above. No matter your own emotions, you always have a perpetual scowl – or at best a neutral expression – on your face. Rapid Talker : You talk a mile a minute. This occasionally causes a -1 reaction penalty as others attempt to follow what you're saying, and you are often asked to slowly repeat yourself. Republic Senator : You argue solely because you love to argue! Any chance you get, within reason, you find an opposing viewpoint to someone and debate it with them. Note that you don't necessarily have to believe the viewpoint you're taking! This can be considered a Quirk level Compulsive Behavior (Debating). Talks to Himself/Herself : You need to vocalize your thoughts, especially when working on something mentally taxing. People who aren't expecting it may react at -1, especially if they don't have this trait themselves. Third Person : You don't seem to know the words "I" or "me", and possibly also "my" or "mine"! You habitually call yourself by your name or alias. This is especially suited to campaigns that have a distinct "campy" style, but some characters with Megalomania or a lower than average IQ have this regardless of genre. Traditional/Ethnic Diet : Whether due to upbringing or conscious choice, you follow the traditional or ethnic diet of a particular region or population group. This may be following kosher Jewish dietary laws, traditional Chinese or Japanese food preparation, or similar. This is only a quirk if the rules you follow are not the norm in your game setting. Vague Answers : You always answer questions with the vaguest possible answer that could actually answer the question. This includes answering a question with a pointed question of your own. Won't Meet Anyone's Eyes : Might be a mild form of Autism/Asperger's, a form of shyness, or a just a cultural habit (e.g. someone from an East Asian culture), but you won't look anyone in the eye during conversation, although you have no trouble carrying on the conversation. Willfully Anachronistic : You are fully capable of using equipment native to your Tech Level, but for some reason you just won't (usually financial, but can be a simple dislike for such things), usually limited to a few device types. For example, you disdain Facebook and smartphones for e-mail and regular "dumb" cellphones. : 'Likes and Dislikes' Adrenaline Junkie : You crave excitement. You are not On the Edge (yet), as the risks you take are not normally life-threatening, if the proper precautions are taken – bungee jumping, skydiving, etc. This may be a Quirk-level Addiction to an activity. Dislikes : You intensely dislike something, be it a person, place, object, or idea. This can be anything! Suitable Dislikes include specific people, various common foods (Brussels sprouts, liver and onions, etc), certain activities, or a type of common animal, to name a few examples. Speed Freak : You like to go fast. Fast cars, fast airplanes, fast motorcycles, roller coasters, fast skis; the means does not matter, so long as you're able to feel the wind in your face or push the envelope of your vehicle to where it threatens to shake itself apart. Show-Off : You like the attention your activities bring you, and you try to do things with a flair and a touch of theatrics. 'Mental Quirks' Attentive : You tend to stick to one task until it's done. You get a +1 bonus when working on lengthy tasks, but -3 to notice any important interruption. Bad With Names : You have a terrible time remembering the names of other people, and/or connecting them with faces. People you've met before look familiar to you, and you may even remember who they are and how you know them, but more often than not you don't remember their names. The more time that passes since last meeting with someone, the less likely you are to remember that person's name. Broad-Minded : A trivial form of Xenophilia. You get along with other races and species, and strange looks rarely bother you. Careful : A Quirk-level version of Cowardice. You are naturally cautious, always on the lookout for danger. You dedicate extra time and money to preparations before venturing into a dangerous situation. This is incompatible with Adrenaline Junkie (above). Chauvinistic : An extremely low level of Intolerance. You are always aware of differences in sex, skin color, etc., even if you do not actually react poorly to others. Thin-skinned individuals might occasionally react to you at -1 as a result. Child at Heart : Though you may be in your 30s or older, mentally the maturity stopped somewhere around 10. You still enjoy fingerpainting, children's movies, playgrounds, and poop jokes even though you are fully grown, and aren't afraid to admit it. The character gets a -1 penalty on reaction rolls from NPCs who put a premium on acting your age, but a +1 reaction bonus from little kids. Code of Honor : You may take a minor Code of Honor as a Quirk. For instance, you might insist on exhibiting "gentlemanly" behavior towards all females or spurning "chauvinistic" behavior from all males. Congenial : This is a milder form of Chummy. You like company and work well with others. You always choose group action over individual action. This is incompatible with Uncongenial (below). CRS (Can't Remember Stuff) : When actively trying to remember stuff, you often end up unable to recall minute details, such as names or phone numbers. Each level of this Quirk gives you -1 to IQ rolls to remember the little things. Distractible : Quirk-level Short Attention Span. You are easily distracted and don't do well with long-term projects. You are at -1 when rolling to accomplish long tasks. Dreamer : You have a -1 on any long task, because you tend to spend time thinking of better ways to do it, rather than working. Dull : You are not quite Hidebound, but you tend to stick with tried and true methods. Easily Seduced : As the name implies, you are easily swayed by attempts at seduction. You have a -1 to Will rolls per level of this quirk to resist seduction attempts. Expression : You have a favorite expression that you tend to remark at least once per session, if not once per encounter. Examples include "Jehoshaphat!", "Hell's Bells", "Oh my stars and garters", "Merciful Zeus", or even "Hulk Smash!" Forgetful : You often forget some of your abilities, skills, or equipment, and thus fail to use them when they would be a good solution to a problem. This is only a Quirk because it leaves the choice of when to forget an ability at the player's discretion, rather than slowing down play with extra dice rolls. On the other hand, the GM can certainly recommend this Quirk to a player who consistently loses track of what's on the character sheet! Goal or Obsession : You may take an almost-rational and not especially unusual Obsession as a quirk, to reflect a minor goal. For instance, you hope to get just enough money to buy a farm (or boat, or spaceship, or castle), or earn yourself a landed title of nobility (in settings where such titles are handed out by the ruling parties). Holds Grudges : You can't just let things go and let bygones be bygones. If someone pisses you off, you let them know it, even after they've apologized for the hundredth time! Every social encounter with someone who has done you wrong will result in you snubbing them, often with them wondering what they've done to piss you off this time (when in reality, you're still pissed about the first time)! Humble : A weak form of Selfless. You tend to put the concerns of others, or of the group, before your own. Imaginative : You are a font of ideas, and are more than willing to share them with others! They may or may not be good ideas... Mild OCD : You have a low-grade form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. You tend to ruminate on things when under stress and perform minor rituals to take your mind off whatever is bothering you (compulsively cleaning, talking the situation out over and over again, checking everything three times, etc.). This occasionally imposes a -1 penalty on reaction rolls if onlookers find the obsession totally strange or unwarranted. Minor Addiction : You may take Addiction as a Quirk, if you are addicted to a drug that causes psychological dependency and works out to 0 points under the Addiction rules. No Sex Drive : Also known as "Sexual Orientation (Asexual)" (see below). You still possess the normal reproductive organs of your gender and race. However, you completely lack the desire to find companionship, whether in your own or the opposite gender. While this gives you a +2 bonus to resist seduction attempts, it also results in a -2 reaction penalty from those who are trying to flirt, entice, or possibly even get your attention as well as those, at least those who also lack this Quirk, who witness any said attempts. Nosy : A lesser version of Curious. You are always poking your nose into corners and everyone else's business (which is likely to result in a small reaction penalty once in a while). Nosy is incompatible with Staid (below) and Incurious. OUCH! : Whenever your character suffers a minor injury, dealing no more than 1 point of damage (e.g. paper cuts, a bonk on the head, stepping on a tack), or any open wound is being treated, he must make a Will roll or cry out as if he had Low Pain Threshold. This is not incompatible with High Pain Threshold. (For example, think of any cinematic hero who can take bullets and third degree burns without flinching, but then cries like a little girl when antiseptic is rubbed on a minor scratch.) Personality Change : This is a Quirk-level Split Personality. You suffer from a full-blown mental disorder, but only in circumstances that are normally under your control: e.g. Bully when you drink too much, or Pyromania when you cast your Create Fire spell. Picky Eater : You prefer most of the food you eat to be prepared or presented in a certain way, and aren't shy about letting people know when something isn't up to your standards. Characters with this Quirk who eat out will almost always annoy their servers and cooks with highly specific orders. Proud : This is Selfish at quirk level. Individual success, wealth, or social standing concerns you greatly. NPCs with this quirk react at -1 to orders, insults, or social slights. Responsive : A mild case of Charitable. You are able to imagine the feelings and motivations of others – and, all other things being equal, you are inclined to help them. Rule-Breaker : The adage "rules are meant to be broken" is more than just a phrase to you. While you won't intentionally do anything that harms anyone else, you're the kind to carry a cell phone in school, drive without a license, and cut across other people's property instead of using a sidewalk. This gives a -1 reaction penalty from those with Honesty, but on occasion your blatant disregard for the rules comes in handy. Sexual Orientation : Your sexual orientation is not a standard orientation in your setting. The most common options are Heterosexual (attracted to the opposite gender), Homosexual (attracted to the same gender), or Bisexual (attracted to both the same and opposite genders). Races with more than two genders may have additional orientations. (Asexual orientation is more commonly handled using the No Sex Drive Quirk above.) Note that in many cases this historically led to Social Stigmas – Second-Class Citizen, Minority Group, Excommunicated, and Disowned are most common; some might even go so far as to grant Criminal Record (e.g. many homosexuals were imprisoned in the 1950s under antisodomy laws). Simply Not Funny : Similar to No Sense of Humor, but milder. You get jokes and laugh at them, but you don't understand how to tell them. Every one of your quips, jokes, and witticisms falls flat. Staid : You may take this very low level of Incurious as a Quirk. You are likely to ignore matters that don't immediately concern you. Stop Having Fun, Guys! : The adage "it's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game" is definitely not true for you. When engaged in a sport, game, or other competitive activity, you don't play for fun. You play to win. Note that this has the potential to become a full-fledged Odious Personal Habit, so be careful with how it's played. Teetotaler : You avoid alcoholic beverages on general principles, whether due to religious reasons, you're a recovering alcoholic, or simply because you don't care for the taste. Note that if you take this to an extreme and try to tell others not to drink, you're edging into an Odious Personal Habit. Trademark : A Quirk-level Trademark takes almost no time to leave, cannot be used to trace your identity, and can be overlooked when inconvenient. Uncongenial : A lesser version of Loner. You prefer to be alone. You always choose individual action over group action. 'Physical Quirks''' Alcohol Intolerance : Alcohol "goes right to your head." You become intoxicated much more quickly than normal. You get -2 on any HT roll related to drinking. Naturally, this is incompatible with the Alcohol Tolerance Perk. Note that the No Hangovers Perk is still valid; there are people that can get falling over drunk easily and not suffer hangovers the next day! Allergies : You have some sort of allergic reaction to a substance. This is annoying, but rarely dangerous. If exposed to the cause of your allergy, make an HT roll. On a failure you become miserable and suffer coughing, sneezing, or itching for a number of minutes equal to the margin of failure. Severe allergies that can lead to damage or death should be bought as Susceptible instead. Cannot Float : You always sink in water. This is most applicable to machines, but might also afflict fantasy or alien races, or result from a curse. Heavy Menses : Character has especially painful and messy menstrual periods. The character takes -1 on most activities due to discomfort, cramping, anemia, mood-swings, etc. This represents the kind of menstrual period that forces many women to take off of work or school for bed rest, and eventually seek out long-term hormonal birth control. Minor Handicap : You may take most mundane physical disadvantages at Quirk level. For instance, you could use a watered-down version of Lame for a "bum knee" or arthritis in the knee or hip. Difficulties rarely come into play, but are genuinely inconvenient when they do. If you have this kind of handicap, the GM may give you -1 to attribute, skill, or reaction rolls, as appropriate, in situations where it would logically interfere. Musical Cartilage : When your knuckles, knees, or other joints are cracked or pop, the sound is much louder than normal. This normally does not give you any problems, but could be symptoms of a more severe skeletal issue. Nervous Stomach : You have -3 to HT rolls to avoid illness (typically in the form of attribute penalties or vomiting) brought on by rich or spicy food, strong drink, or even the presence of chemical preservatives if you were raised on a diet in which said preservatives were unheard of or unused (so-called 'natural' preservatives, such as salting, do not count). Neutered : You are missing sex organs that someone of your race, sex, and age would normally possess. The most common version of this among humans is a eunuch (a man who has been castrated). This might qualify you for reduced Appearance, Social Stigma, or Unnatural Features in some cases. However, there are minor benefits: you are immune to seduction and will never accidentally become a parent. This is more than simple sterility (which is a feature worth 0 points).